Same old question: Road Bike and what to buy?

Hi Ladies,
My name is Mariela (maye) and I'm glad that I found this great forum with such an amazing weatlh of information.

To give you more info about myself. I used to ride my bike a lot during 2009 (Giant mountain bike) but stopped after getting pregnant and moving from Orlando FL to Long Island NY. Fast forwarding to 2012, I'm ready to get back to my long lost cycling passion and to re-start it I will be joining an event to do my first 65 miles with a route starting at NYC. I need the event to commit myself and the discipline that this entails. A goal in mind that's all I need to start and continue.

So, in the past few days I started my research on which road bike to buy. The options out there are overwhelming. My mind is dizzy with terms like carbon, aluminum, wheels, cranks, pedal or pedaless, reach, women, men, unisex bikes, just to mention a few. I'm actually having nightmares about it (not quite)!

One thing I do know is that, I have to get myself fit on a bike shop to know what would be the best fit for someone like me.

I'm 5'8 and weight 145 pounds (on a good day) and medium torso with looong legs. I have a budget between $1,500 to 2,000 that would like to strecth as much as I can.
What else do I have to look for?
What else I have to watch out for?

BTW, Pinarello bikes are really, really nice. A girl can dream, right? :D

Thanks!

Go to several different LBS to test ride several bikes and see which one you like the feel of best. Do not worry about the bike being WSD (women specific). Both my road bikes are unisex bikes.

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Originally Posted by Koronin

Go to several different LBS to test ride several bikes and see which one you like the feel of best. Do not worry about the bike being WSD (women specific). Both my road bikes are unisex bikes.

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Thanks for the reply. I'll certainly do that. LBS is local bike shop?
Mariela

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Originally Posted by Koronin

Go to several different LBS to test ride several bikes and see which one you like the feel of best. Do not worry about the bike being WSD (women specific). Both my road bikes are unisex bikes.

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Whereas my first bike was unisex and it never fit right, and my current WSD road bike is a much better fit. It is different for each of us.

With your budget, you could probably get a lower-end carbon bike. Personally I found an aluminum frame with a carbon fork was okay, and I would have stayed with it if it had fit me right. But carbon is more comfortable on rough pavement. I have no idea how much steel bikes cost but there are some here who will say that they are the only bikes you should consider. ;)

Two other things to think about:

Get recommendations for good bike shops in your area. You want a shop where the fitter knows what s/he is doing and where you know they will happily help you with any issues after you but the bike (like adjustments to the fit which may be required after you've ridden the bike for a while).

Also, make sure the bike has decent components. If they're Shimano, I would not get anything less than 105 components. I once had a Tiagra front derailleur and it never shifted right. For bikes that come with SRAM components, I have the Rival group which I'm happy with -- I don't know about the less expensive groups.

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Originally Posted by ny biker

Whereas my first bike was unisex and it never fit right, and my current WSD road bike is a much better fit. It is different for each of us.

With your budget, you could probably get a lower-end carbon bike. Personally I found an aluminum frame with a carbon fork was okay, and I would have stayed with it if it had fit me right. But carbon is more comfortable on rough pavement. I have no idea how much steel bikes cost but there are some here who will say that they are the only bikes you should consider. ;)

Two other things to think about:

Get recommendations for good bike shops in your area. You want a shop where the fitter knows what s/he is doing and where you know they will happily help you with any issues after you but the bike (like adjustments to the fit which may be required after you've ridden the bike for a while).

Also, make sure the bike has decent components. If they're Shimano, I would not get anything less than 105 components. I once had a Tiagra front derailleur and it never shifted right. For bikes that come with SRAM components, I have the Rival group which I'm happy with -- I don't know about the less expensive groups.

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Thanks for the components information. I'll be sure to check that as well. I'm planning to go to a NJ shop that was highly recommended in a few weeks after researching a little bit more.

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Originally Posted by Muirenn

Try Jamis and Felt. Jamis gives a lot of bike for the money, Felt makes good bikes for people with long legs in proportion to height. Specialized and Trek also make good bikes in this range, but tend to cost more. The Felt may fit, or be a little small, not sure.

I'm the same as you, but 5'7''. :)

Ah, and you didn't mention steel.

Try steel. (Jamis Quest).

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Steel, added to the list!!

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Originally Posted by ny biker

Whereas my first bike was unisex and it never fit right, and my current WSD road bike is a much better fit. It is different for each of us.

With your budget, you could probably get a lower-end carbon bike. Personally I found an aluminum frame with a carbon fork was okay, and I would have stayed with it if it had fit me right. But carbon is more comfortable on rough pavement. I have no idea how much steel bikes cost but there are some here who will say that they are the only bikes you should consider. ;)

Two other things to think about:

Get recommendations for good bike shops in your area. You want a shop where the fitter knows what s/he is doing and where you know they will happily help you with any issues after you but the bike (like adjustments to the fit which may be required after you've ridden the bike for a while).

Also, make sure the bike has decent components. If they're Shimano, I would not get anything less than 105 components. I once had a Tiagra front derailleur and it never shifted right. For bikes that come with SRAM components, I have the Rival group which I'm happy with -- I don't know about the less expensive groups.

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Thanks for the info about the components. Found a good shop in the Fort Lee, NJ area that I'm planning to visit soon which was highly recommended.

I would second buying the best frame you can afford for example full carbon. You can always upgrade (and trust me when you get the bug you will) parts on the bike, but if you have a good frame that fits, well that's the most expensive part.

If you are going down the Shimano gearing route look for "105" parts or "Ultegra" or "Dura Ace". These are the top three tier grade of bike components and will last well. (there's 5 or so different grades for road parts). Other brands like Scram and Campagnolo (found on Pinarello's) also have different grades of components so you will want to find out about them as well.

You could go lower-end carbon, or higher end aluminum, or steel. Depends on the pavement...and on tubing quality and frame geometry. Yeah, I know. Not helpful.

Ask around for good bike shop recommendations, and go try some out. I didn't (I based my bike choice on what I could afford at the time (not much), and my boyfriend's recs) and while I don't exactly regret it, I would have done it very differently. I second ny_biker's suggestion to get 105/Rival or better. While I would caution against getting hung up on WSD vs. unisex, the general rule of thumb is that if your torso is long relative to your legs, look more closely at unisex; vice versa, look at WSD. I can sometimes fit unisex bikes in a size smaller than my inseam would suggest that I take. So keep that in mind.

The Jamis Quest (or Quest Femme) is steel and around $1800. It's a pretty nice bike for the money.

I really appreciate all the good tips specially the ones related to the components. Keep em coming!! Leaning towards carbon but I will see if I can get away with having more budget and at the same time not getting in trouble with my husband. I have to remember that I also have to buy shoes and some other accesories. I do have a helmet and a Polar bike computer with HRM which I will have to install (sensors)and test once I get the new bike. I will visit soon a bike shop in NJ, Fort Lee area that was highly recommended by my brother in law. Yay!!

Test ride a lot of bikes at several different shops. Ride bikes that you think you'll hate. Ride bikes that you don't think you can afford. Ride anything you think will remotely fit. Ride womens' bikes, mens bikes, and unisex bikes. Your goal, IMO, is to find a shop that you like, and a bike that you're comfortable with. IMO, both are a little like dating....you don't know that good ones until you've met the bad ones, and you don't know a good compromise until you've met the end-all, be-all.

Have fun with it!

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Originally Posted by Becky

Test ride a lot of bikes at several different shops. Ride bikes that you think you'll hate. Ride bikes that you don't think you can afford. Ride anything you think will remotely fit. Ride womens' bikes, mens bikes, and unisex bikes. Your goal, IMO, is to find a shop that you like, and a bike that you're comfortable with. IMO, both are a little like dating....you don't know that good ones until you've met the bad ones, and you don't know a good compromise until you've met the end-all, be-all.

Have fun with it!

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Love this analogy. Thanks Becky!

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Originally Posted by Muirenn

FYI, I have a carbon bike, and I want my next one to be steel. It's smoother. :) With your budget, I would stay away from the aluminum/carbon mix. You can find a full carbon on sale if you are persistent.

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I have been combing the internet for 2010/11 models and there are quite a few still available with reasonably good prices. But until I get fitted, I will not know what will fit me best. I'm planning to do the fitting in a week or two. The event that I'm planning to attend is in May the 20th, so the clock is ticking!!

The most important factors are tires and the geometry of the bike.
Most carbon fiber bikes have a race geometry, an aggressive position that makes the ride harsh and the handling "touchy" What do you want to do with the new bike? Also consider that a carbon fiber fork will limit the tire size options. Narrow tires require a higher psi to avoid pinch flats and don't absorb shock or bumps so that transmit to your hands, shoulders, and behind.
So again, spend some time deciding what type of riding you expect to do on a regular basis. I can ride day in, day out on my bike for extended miles very comfortably but I would never compete in a race.
I can't speak to a WSD, never owned one. I am 5'5" with longer legs than torso. My bike isn't a floor model, I bought a frame and added the components to work for me. With the budget you have and a good LBS you should be able to build a nice bike for you. Happy planning!

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Originally Posted by Muirenn

FYI, I have a carbon bike, and I want my next one to be steel. It's smoother. :) With your budget, I would stay away from the aluminum/carbon mix. You can find a full carbon on sale if you are persistent.

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Yeah but she's doing a metric with a fair bit of climbing on May 20, so she wants a road bike sooner rather than later.

I do know at some shops that still have 2011 bikes in stock, and they're on sale.